Thursday, January 14, 2010
HDZ
The HDZ center in Bad Oeynhausen was an enlightening experience into the world of cardiovascular medicine. Watching an open heart surgery, just inches away from the patient, is something I never would have imagined possible. I thought that seeing an open chest cavity would affect me more emotionally than it did because my dad died of complications from a heart transplant. He had a genetic disease called cardiomyopathy. They say an ECG at the age of 16 can tell if you have cardiomyopathy, fortunately mine was normal. Having a genetic cardiovascular flaw in my family makes me very interested in cardiovascular medicine. The surgery I saw was an implantation of an LVAD. I arrived in the operating theater late so I mainly just watched them clean and close the chest cavity. The man had several tubes sticking out of his chest connected to machines. I couldn't help but wonder what his quality of life would be after the surgery. Is going through that much pain and suffering really worth an extra couple of years? Then I started thinking that he might be hanging on for his family. I know my dad exhausted all his options for me and my sisters and I am very grateful for the extra 6 months that the heart transplant gave him. Looking back I wonder whether or not he was glad he went through with the procedure because he suffered immensely. I hope one day heart transplants or artificial hearts can give patients with cardiovascular diseases not only life but a good quality of life after the surgery.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Paris
Our trip to Paris started off pretty good. We planned on taking an overnight train but didn't make reservations because we were told we didn't have to. Once we boarded the train we found out we had been lied to. In the end everthing worked out. The train man gave up beds to sleep in for half the price! Upon arriving to Paris we were well rested and ready to explore the city. Unfortunately Paris didn't live up to my expectations. Maybe it is because I had such high expectations after years of people raving over it's beauty and uniqueness. While I did enjoy touring Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph, and the Louvre Paris just wasn't what I had invisioned. I would prefer to go in the summer when I could actually go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The second level of the Eiffel Tower was still breathtaking despite the bitter cold. I was amazed by the Louvre and want to go back one day when I can spend several days touring it. The statues and paintings fascinated me. Seeing a piece of art always makes me wonder what the history of it is and what inspired the artist to create such a time consuming masterpiece.
Our hostel in Paris was much nicer than the one in Prague. We ended up having three roommates from Brazil. At first I ws a little uneasy about the situation but they endd up being very nice girls. One major problem with the hostel was that the showers had only cold water and I enjoy steaming hot showers so I ended up not showering for three days! Needless to say I wasn't very happy.
Heading home from Paris was an entirely different story from arriving. We ended up paying 75 extra Euros because they said our Eurail pass would not work. This really made all of us mad because we paid over 350 dollars for the pass. We arrived at the Paris train station around 1:00 p.m. but didn't arrive in Hannover until 8:05 a.m. that next morning. As one could imagine 19 hours of traveling by train durring the night making 5 different change overs was NOT pleasant. I was very thankful to be back in Germany after the Paris experience.
Tomorrow we leave for Vienna. I've been told great things. I can only hope tha tI am not disappointed once again!
Our hostel in Paris was much nicer than the one in Prague. We ended up having three roommates from Brazil. At first I ws a little uneasy about the situation but they endd up being very nice girls. One major problem with the hostel was that the showers had only cold water and I enjoy steaming hot showers so I ended up not showering for three days! Needless to say I wasn't very happy.
Heading home from Paris was an entirely different story from arriving. We ended up paying 75 extra Euros because they said our Eurail pass would not work. This really made all of us mad because we paid over 350 dollars for the pass. We arrived at the Paris train station around 1:00 p.m. but didn't arrive in Hannover until 8:05 a.m. that next morning. As one could imagine 19 hours of traveling by train durring the night making 5 different change overs was NOT pleasant. I was very thankful to be back in Germany after the Paris experience.
Tomorrow we leave for Vienna. I've been told great things. I can only hope tha tI am not disappointed once again!
Hannover
The second week in Hannover was mainly visits to the veterinary school and medical hospitals. The anatomy institute at the vet school was similar to the one we saw at the Cologne medical school, except with fewer specimens. We then made our way back to the cattle clinic, except this time we just took a tour of the facilities and didn't participate in any hands on activities. Afterwards we made our way to the nephrology department at the MHH. Our day ended early which was nice because it gave me some time to catch up on sleep from the past weekend in Paris.
On Tuesday we went to the Heart and Diabetes Center, which was about an hour outside of Hannover. Once we got there I got to see an open heart surgery, which was amazing. It was so cool that I was pretty much right next to the surgeons as they worked and at the the head of the patient with a perfect view of everything that was going on. It was a really great experience and it lived up to all of the pre-trip hype. We had a quick lunch and listened to a short lecture on artificial hearts and some of the history behind them. Then we had the chance to visit patients and actually see the artificial hearts we just talked about in the patient. The MRI lecture, although we had heard a similar lecture before, was pretty interesting.
I am not looking forward to waking up at 4 in the morning tomorrow to make it to the airport for our flight. However, I am excited that we are going to Vienna and wrapping up the program.
On Tuesday we went to the Heart and Diabetes Center, which was about an hour outside of Hannover. Once we got there I got to see an open heart surgery, which was amazing. It was so cool that I was pretty much right next to the surgeons as they worked and at the the head of the patient with a perfect view of everything that was going on. It was a really great experience and it lived up to all of the pre-trip hype. We had a quick lunch and listened to a short lecture on artificial hearts and some of the history behind them. Then we had the chance to visit patients and actually see the artificial hearts we just talked about in the patient. The MRI lecture, although we had heard a similar lecture before, was pretty interesting.
I am not looking forward to waking up at 4 in the morning tomorrow to make it to the airport for our flight. However, I am excited that we are going to Vienna and wrapping up the program.
That's how you get the air out
Yesterday we went to the Heart and Diabetes Center North-Rhine Westphalia and saw a double bypass/aortic valve replacement surgery. I was really excited to get to see a real surgery up close and personal like the actual nurses and doctors do. I was inspiring to listen to the staff talk about their jobs and hear how passionate they were about the work they were doing. We got to take a tour through the hospital where the patients allowed us to look at their artificial heart implants. I could not believe how much of the actual implant was sticking out of the body and how generous the patients were to show us their devices. The hospital atmosphere was exceptional. The patients and doctors seemed to work closely together and know eachother on an individual level, not just broadbased medicine. It made me rethink my deicision about not going to medical school. During the surgery, I was surprised by the doctor's stress-free attitude. The cardiologist at one point grabbed the sides of the opening in the patient and shook the heart making a sloshing sound. He then looked at our astonished faces and laughed saying, "that's how you get the air out." I thought that was quite comical. I would really enjoy going back there one day. Today it was bye, bye Germany and hello Austria. Although they almost speak the same language, I think Austria is a lot different from Germany. Tonight we're doing kareoke, should be exciting!!
Russian Romance
Saturday, January 9: Since I did not go to Paris like mostly everyone else, I got to catch up on my sleep. I woke up at 10:02 remembering that the hotel stops serving breakfast at 10:00. After running downstairs into the dining room, the nice lady let me eat. I was very happy.
Sunday, January 10: Today, I woke up at 8:00am to shower, eat breakfast at a reasonable hour, and to catch an 11:31 train back to Berlin. I arrive an hour early just to be safe at the train station to see that the train will be 20 minutes late (ca 20 minuten spa"ter). Deciding to sit out in the cold ant wait, I realized that the train ended up being fifty minutes late. Sitting in the warmth of the train now, I am excited to be going on a date with a foreigner!
Monday, January 11: My date with Anastasia lasted until Monday morning. We ate at a fancy café house and then went to the ballet. The performance was very modern, but still had a few ties to classical style of ballet. After leaving the opera house, she invited me to her apartment for some tea. It was the best tea I’ve ever had. Arriving back in Hannover at 3:40 am, Ryan and Phillip were sitting outside the room smoking cigars discussing religion. After sleeping for 2 hours, I went to a hospital and learned about dialysis. It’s interesting how the risk for a heart attack increases by 500 times if one is placed on dialysis. The machines throw clots and place extra load on the heart.
Tuesday, January 12: Today was the best day of the trip. We had to wake up really early and catch a train to the Heart & Diabetes Center North-Rhine Westphalia. The teaching hospital specializes in cardiovascular surgeries. I witnessed the implantation of a Heartware LVAD! I watched as the anesthesiologist prepared the patient. I witnessed the sawing open of the man’s chest, how they burned away tissue to make room for the LVAD, and even the redirecting of the vessels to the cardio-pulmonary bypass. The doctors prepared the LVAD (made sure it worked), and implanted it. After these quick 4 hours, Olaf came and said that we had missed lunch and it was time to go. The afternoon was awesome as well. I got to see other kinds of VAD’s and even a new experimental total heart replacement!
Sunday, January 10: Today, I woke up at 8:00am to shower, eat breakfast at a reasonable hour, and to catch an 11:31 train back to Berlin. I arrive an hour early just to be safe at the train station to see that the train will be 20 minutes late (ca 20 minuten spa"ter). Deciding to sit out in the cold ant wait, I realized that the train ended up being fifty minutes late. Sitting in the warmth of the train now, I am excited to be going on a date with a foreigner!
Monday, January 11: My date with Anastasia lasted until Monday morning. We ate at a fancy café house and then went to the ballet. The performance was very modern, but still had a few ties to classical style of ballet. After leaving the opera house, she invited me to her apartment for some tea. It was the best tea I’ve ever had. Arriving back in Hannover at 3:40 am, Ryan and Phillip were sitting outside the room smoking cigars discussing religion. After sleeping for 2 hours, I went to a hospital and learned about dialysis. It’s interesting how the risk for a heart attack increases by 500 times if one is placed on dialysis. The machines throw clots and place extra load on the heart.
Tuesday, January 12: Today was the best day of the trip. We had to wake up really early and catch a train to the Heart & Diabetes Center North-Rhine Westphalia. The teaching hospital specializes in cardiovascular surgeries. I witnessed the implantation of a Heartware LVAD! I watched as the anesthesiologist prepared the patient. I witnessed the sawing open of the man’s chest, how they burned away tissue to make room for the LVAD, and even the redirecting of the vessels to the cardio-pulmonary bypass. The doctors prepared the LVAD (made sure it worked), and implanted it. After these quick 4 hours, Olaf came and said that we had missed lunch and it was time to go. The afternoon was awesome as well. I got to see other kinds of VAD’s and even a new experimental total heart replacement!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Hannover/Paris
The visit to the Max Delbruck Center proved quite interesting. I especially loved the discussion we had about the stem cell research that was currently going on, including both the political and medical sides of the topic. It's also quite impressive how young these German doctors have been that have given us these lectures and learning experiences. I was really expecting people much older to be in this program, but I've come to find (with appreciation and much liking) that most are quite recent graduates of medicine.
Hannover, however, has proven to be really different from the other cities we've visited. There seems to be no important history in any of the buildings or monuments, but maybe that's because we really haven't taken a tour of the city. The veterinary clinic, however, has been anything but dull. Although the clinic had a few instances where I did a thing or two that I otherwise would never have done (e.g. stick an arm up a cow's ass), I found everything to be interesting. I especially like how nearly everything there was a hands-on learning experience instead of lectures. Though I probably won't end up becoming a vet, I can definitely see the applicability in learning about animals and how they're anatomy and physiology can relate to a human's.
Taking a break this weekend from the lectures and tours, however, wasn't quite as relaxing as I had hoped. The trip to Paris was a long one and we continually felt obligated to try to get as many experiences into 24 hours as possible, but I regret none of it. The city was beautiful and its history proved to be one that lived up to the expectations. The amount of art that could be found in the city, from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, continually amazing me. Everything seemed to tell a different story of the city and the country, none of which were dull in any way. I'm really glad I got to spend time in the city, though it may not have been as long as I would have wanted.
Hannover, however, has proven to be really different from the other cities we've visited. There seems to be no important history in any of the buildings or monuments, but maybe that's because we really haven't taken a tour of the city. The veterinary clinic, however, has been anything but dull. Although the clinic had a few instances where I did a thing or two that I otherwise would never have done (e.g. stick an arm up a cow's ass), I found everything to be interesting. I especially like how nearly everything there was a hands-on learning experience instead of lectures. Though I probably won't end up becoming a vet, I can definitely see the applicability in learning about animals and how they're anatomy and physiology can relate to a human's.
Taking a break this weekend from the lectures and tours, however, wasn't quite as relaxing as I had hoped. The trip to Paris was a long one and we continually felt obligated to try to get as many experiences into 24 hours as possible, but I regret none of it. The city was beautiful and its history proved to be one that lived up to the expectations. The amount of art that could be found in the city, from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, continually amazing me. Everything seemed to tell a different story of the city and the country, none of which were dull in any way. I'm really glad I got to spend time in the city, though it may not have been as long as I would have wanted.
Blah to Yay
(originally written 06/01/2010)
It’s 1:30 in the morning and I should really be asleep now. Today was one of those days. It started off horrible…like really really bad, BUT ended on a very pleasant note. This week went by so fast. It’s already Thursday of the 2nd week. This program will be over before I know it. Kind of anticipating going back to the States though. Miss my family and friends, and American food. Keeping up with these blogs are not fun. I am having so much fun I forget to transfer my journal entries to the blog. So please bare with me Dr. Wasser.
Hmmm…so what should I blog about? I guess I’ll start with my weekend in Prague. I am proud to say I walked the city of Prague in one day…or at least that’s what it felt like. I’ll bet 100€ I walked at least 20 miles on Saturday. I took so many pictures. We visited the Prague Castle, the Astronomical Clock, various churches, the Charles Bridge, and so much more…not to mention the Jewish Cemetery. Another notable experience was staying in a hostel…Chili Hostel to be exact. There were people from everywhere there: Brazil and Italy just to mention a few a places. I must admit, the hostel was pretty rowdy and a little dirty (luckily I brought my Lysol), but what an experience. Maggie, Ryan, Jen, and Phillip made the experience one to remember…what awesome travel buddies. A word of advice we can all give…STAY AWAY FROM CZECH RUM!!!
The class went on a city tour of Berlin the Monday after our free weekend. It was so cold outside. I think the temperature was like -2°C…burrrrrr!!! I learned a lot of interesting facts. For instance, I’ve visited 2 of the 3 most famous German buildings/attractions: the Brandenburg Gate and the Cologne Cathedral. I just need to see the “Disney Castle” now.
There was another city tour scheduled Tuesday. The class took a train to Dresden. What a beautiful city with lots of history. The Hygiene Museum was interesting. I had to do a presentation with Samy on the Sexuality Room, one of the seven rooms within the museum. I found it to be a pretty easy topic to discuss since I took Human Sexuality last semester. The night ended with a phone call from a friend and my mommy. In a nutshell…no better way to end a night.
Then there was today, or yesterday technically. Blah…yeah…that about describes it. I didn’t really enjoy the events planned. They tailored more to the biomedical engineering students. Telemedicine and prosthetics are way over my head and involves too much physics…I HATE PHYSICS!!! The funniest thing today was washing clothes in a German laundry mat. An adventure in itself! Had to use my German-English dictionary to translate how to work the machines.
But…I did have something very important and exciting happen today!!! I got my medical school match!! I will officially be a medical school student at UTMB Galveston starting Fall 2010…CLASS OF 2014!!! Yayyy. Can’t wait to celebrate with family and friends!!
It’s 1:30 in the morning and I should really be asleep now. Today was one of those days. It started off horrible…like really really bad, BUT ended on a very pleasant note. This week went by so fast. It’s already Thursday of the 2nd week. This program will be over before I know it. Kind of anticipating going back to the States though. Miss my family and friends, and American food. Keeping up with these blogs are not fun. I am having so much fun I forget to transfer my journal entries to the blog. So please bare with me Dr. Wasser.
Hmmm…so what should I blog about? I guess I’ll start with my weekend in Prague. I am proud to say I walked the city of Prague in one day…or at least that’s what it felt like. I’ll bet 100€ I walked at least 20 miles on Saturday. I took so many pictures. We visited the Prague Castle, the Astronomical Clock, various churches, the Charles Bridge, and so much more…not to mention the Jewish Cemetery. Another notable experience was staying in a hostel…Chili Hostel to be exact. There were people from everywhere there: Brazil and Italy just to mention a few a places. I must admit, the hostel was pretty rowdy and a little dirty (luckily I brought my Lysol), but what an experience. Maggie, Ryan, Jen, and Phillip made the experience one to remember…what awesome travel buddies. A word of advice we can all give…STAY AWAY FROM CZECH RUM!!!
The class went on a city tour of Berlin the Monday after our free weekend. It was so cold outside. I think the temperature was like -2°C…burrrrrr!!! I learned a lot of interesting facts. For instance, I’ve visited 2 of the 3 most famous German buildings/attractions: the Brandenburg Gate and the Cologne Cathedral. I just need to see the “Disney Castle” now.
There was another city tour scheduled Tuesday. The class took a train to Dresden. What a beautiful city with lots of history. The Hygiene Museum was interesting. I had to do a presentation with Samy on the Sexuality Room, one of the seven rooms within the museum. I found it to be a pretty easy topic to discuss since I took Human Sexuality last semester. The night ended with a phone call from a friend and my mommy. In a nutshell…no better way to end a night.
Then there was today, or yesterday technically. Blah…yeah…that about describes it. I didn’t really enjoy the events planned. They tailored more to the biomedical engineering students. Telemedicine and prosthetics are way over my head and involves too much physics…I HATE PHYSICS!!! The funniest thing today was washing clothes in a German laundry mat. An adventure in itself! Had to use my German-English dictionary to translate how to work the machines.
But…I did have something very important and exciting happen today!!! I got my medical school match!! I will officially be a medical school student at UTMB Galveston starting Fall 2010…CLASS OF 2014!!! Yayyy. Can’t wait to celebrate with family and friends!!
I LOVE EUROPE!!
(originally written 05/01/2010)
I came to Germany not exactly knowing what to expect. But now that I’m here, I can truly say I am overwhelmed. The cities, people, language, public transportation, history…there is so much to learn, yet so little time. A week has passed now and I’ve visited 3 German cities (Bonn, Cologne, and Berlin) and another European country (Prague, Czech Republic). If I had to describe it all in one word, I would say such a word doesn’t exist.
Wednesday, the day before New Years Eve, started pretty early. We caught a train to Cologne from Bonn to visit the Cologne Medical School. Not a long train ride at all…literally took only about 30 to 45 minutes. Olaf, our German program director, taught us what he calls the most important German word…“SCHNELL”…which literally means “fast”. It’s so funny because in Germany you literally have to walk fast or be left behind or get ran over by large crowds of people. So when Olaf yells “SCHNELL SCHNELL”, the group literally runs to catch the train or tram.
We took a tour of the anatomical collection at the medical school. The collections were very interesting. My favorite was a preserved pregnant woman cut in half so that you could see the baby inside of her. Sad story behind her death. She comitted suicide during the 7th or 8th month of her pregnancy for unknown reasons. Next was the city tour. Don’t remember too much of what was said except that the city of Cologne was highly damaged during WWII. Biggest eye catcher of the tour was the Cologne Cathedral. What a magnificent piece of art…mystical. I believe our tour guide said it took about 600 years to build it; and if you saw it you would understand why.
New Years Eve started with an interesting lecture by Dr. Wasser addressing the Nuremburg Code. What an awesome professor. I’ve never been so interested in learning more about history and WWII in particular. I find it astonishing how much influence Nazi Germany had on the current health care policies in Germany now and all the events during that time that shaped the lives of many Germans till this day. Being in Germany has definitely made me appreciate history more than ever before. I want to learn so much more.
The day ended with us flying to Berlin. There were pillows of white snow everywhere. I thought to myself, “Finally, a real white winter!” The snow was so beautiful. It’s a pain chugging luggage in it…but I don’t mind. I consider it an even trade. We brought in New Years on the Brandenburg Gate. What an experience. Lots of people, food, and festives. Even ran into some Aggies!! Only disadvantage…I couldn’t feel my toes, fingers or face…it was that cold!!
Well…guess that’s my week in a glance. Probably left out a lot of other crazy adventures but there’s so many I’m having a hard time keeping up with the program. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m falling in love with Europe.
Tscüß!
I came to Germany not exactly knowing what to expect. But now that I’m here, I can truly say I am overwhelmed. The cities, people, language, public transportation, history…there is so much to learn, yet so little time. A week has passed now and I’ve visited 3 German cities (Bonn, Cologne, and Berlin) and another European country (Prague, Czech Republic). If I had to describe it all in one word, I would say such a word doesn’t exist.
Wednesday, the day before New Years Eve, started pretty early. We caught a train to Cologne from Bonn to visit the Cologne Medical School. Not a long train ride at all…literally took only about 30 to 45 minutes. Olaf, our German program director, taught us what he calls the most important German word…“SCHNELL”…which literally means “fast”. It’s so funny because in Germany you literally have to walk fast or be left behind or get ran over by large crowds of people. So when Olaf yells “SCHNELL SCHNELL”, the group literally runs to catch the train or tram.
We took a tour of the anatomical collection at the medical school. The collections were very interesting. My favorite was a preserved pregnant woman cut in half so that you could see the baby inside of her. Sad story behind her death. She comitted suicide during the 7th or 8th month of her pregnancy for unknown reasons. Next was the city tour. Don’t remember too much of what was said except that the city of Cologne was highly damaged during WWII. Biggest eye catcher of the tour was the Cologne Cathedral. What a magnificent piece of art…mystical. I believe our tour guide said it took about 600 years to build it; and if you saw it you would understand why.
New Years Eve started with an interesting lecture by Dr. Wasser addressing the Nuremburg Code. What an awesome professor. I’ve never been so interested in learning more about history and WWII in particular. I find it astonishing how much influence Nazi Germany had on the current health care policies in Germany now and all the events during that time that shaped the lives of many Germans till this day. Being in Germany has definitely made me appreciate history more than ever before. I want to learn so much more.
The day ended with us flying to Berlin. There were pillows of white snow everywhere. I thought to myself, “Finally, a real white winter!” The snow was so beautiful. It’s a pain chugging luggage in it…but I don’t mind. I consider it an even trade. We brought in New Years on the Brandenburg Gate. What an experience. Lots of people, food, and festives. Even ran into some Aggies!! Only disadvantage…I couldn’t feel my toes, fingers or face…it was that cold!!
Well…guess that’s my week in a glance. Probably left out a lot of other crazy adventures but there’s so many I’m having a hard time keeping up with the program. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m falling in love with Europe.
Tscüß!
A day at the hospital
Today was the most exciting day of the trip so far. We visited a hospital where we were able to observe whatever surgeries were being conducted. This would be a unique experience because instead of being in surgical observation domes we were able to be right above the surgeon, only about a foot away from his skilled hands. I was especially fortunate because instead of just a bypass surgery which is fairly common, I was able to observe the implantation of a left ventricular assist device. i got to see a surgery today
i got really lucky cuz usualy its just a bypass, but today i got to see the implantation of a left ventricular assist device. The pump was an intracorpeal Heartware pump. The inflow conduit attaches to the left ventricle and the pump helps the weakened ventricle circulate the blood by propelling it through to the aorta. I was already familiar with this pump because it is one of the ones we do post explantation pathological analysis on in the lab I work in back at A&M. It was cool to see the implantation and installation of the device instead of just the post explantation analysis. Throughout the procedure I stood next to the anasthesiologist, until the patient was on pulmonary bypass and hsi job was essentaially done. I was able to ask the assisting surgeon good questions throughout the procedure, as my knowledge of medicine allowed to to generate at least a slightly intuitive understanding of what they were doing throughout the procedure. I was also able to throw around key words that implied at least a basic understanding of the physiology behind the procedure and they seemed to appreciate that. The surgeon performing the procedure was very skilled, and uppon hearing my comment abou this the assistin surgeon told me that this surgeon has performed more heart assit devices than anyone in the world...about 800. Obviously an irreplacable experience. At one point the heart stopped beating and they had to get these mini defibrillators and shock it back to its regular rhythm. After the surgeries we got a guided tour of the heart pump wards and got to see some extracorpeal heart pumps at work in live patients. We also got to see the clinical MRI machine used in the hospital along with a brief summary of the theory behind it. I was really surprised at the friendliness and willingness of the doctors to take the time to entertain and teach these foreign americans. There are not many hospitals in the US that would allow students to experience what we did.
i got really lucky cuz usualy its just a bypass, but today i got to see the implantation of a left ventricular assist device. The pump was an intracorpeal Heartware pump. The inflow conduit attaches to the left ventricle and the pump helps the weakened ventricle circulate the blood by propelling it through to the aorta. I was already familiar with this pump because it is one of the ones we do post explantation pathological analysis on in the lab I work in back at A&M. It was cool to see the implantation and installation of the device instead of just the post explantation analysis. Throughout the procedure I stood next to the anasthesiologist, until the patient was on pulmonary bypass and hsi job was essentaially done. I was able to ask the assisting surgeon good questions throughout the procedure, as my knowledge of medicine allowed to to generate at least a slightly intuitive understanding of what they were doing throughout the procedure. I was also able to throw around key words that implied at least a basic understanding of the physiology behind the procedure and they seemed to appreciate that. The surgeon performing the procedure was very skilled, and uppon hearing my comment abou this the assistin surgeon told me that this surgeon has performed more heart assit devices than anyone in the world...about 800. Obviously an irreplacable experience. At one point the heart stopped beating and they had to get these mini defibrillators and shock it back to its regular rhythm. After the surgeries we got a guided tour of the heart pump wards and got to see some extracorpeal heart pumps at work in live patients. We also got to see the clinical MRI machine used in the hospital along with a brief summary of the theory behind it. I was really surprised at the friendliness and willingness of the doctors to take the time to entertain and teach these foreign americans. There are not many hospitals in the US that would allow students to experience what we did.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Paris
I went to Paris this weekend! It was amazing and an adventure.
We picked up the rental car Friday night (i rented my first car) then we all took a nap and headed out that night. We drove through some snow but we were careful and arrived in Paris the next morning around 8. We parked at the long term parking at the air port and rode the RER into the city. The air port was VERY english friendly.
We did as much sightseeing as we could in one day. We went to the eiffel Tower, but there was so much snow that it was closed. THERE WAS SNOW IN PARIS. We were told that never happens, but I guess the Texans brought it. It made everything so pretty that I can't complain. We visisted Notre Dame and the Lourve. I got to see the Mona Lisa, but the Lourve is way to big to see in a few days, let alone a few hours. We also went to the arc de Triumph. We went up to the first deck of the eiffel tower at night to see everything lit up. it was gorgeous of course.
The next day we went to the eiffel tower during the day and were able to go to the second deck (the top floor is closed until february) we also visited the musee d'orsay. It was really awesome because it had impressionist art that I really liked.
We drove back sunday night and returned the car and I am excited for my last week of program!
We picked up the rental car Friday night (i rented my first car) then we all took a nap and headed out that night. We drove through some snow but we were careful and arrived in Paris the next morning around 8. We parked at the long term parking at the air port and rode the RER into the city. The air port was VERY english friendly.
We did as much sightseeing as we could in one day. We went to the eiffel Tower, but there was so much snow that it was closed. THERE WAS SNOW IN PARIS. We were told that never happens, but I guess the Texans brought it. It made everything so pretty that I can't complain. We visisted Notre Dame and the Lourve. I got to see the Mona Lisa, but the Lourve is way to big to see in a few days, let alone a few hours. We also went to the arc de Triumph. We went up to the first deck of the eiffel tower at night to see everything lit up. it was gorgeous of course.
The next day we went to the eiffel tower during the day and were able to go to the second deck (the top floor is closed until february) we also visited the musee d'orsay. It was really awesome because it had impressionist art that I really liked.
We drove back sunday night and returned the car and I am excited for my last week of program!
Paris
I am very suprised that the trip to Paris was such a success, considering we decided to rent a car and take a road trip through Europe. Obtaining a rental car was so stressful and it came down to the night before we had to leave to actually get one. At first we didnt think that it was going to be possible because the company that we had planned on renting the car from had no automatic cars that somebody under 21 could drive, but miraculously the company next to the one we were using had one for half the price. So, we headed out late Friday night towards Paris with a Micheal Jackson cd that had to last us about 7 hours, which was pretty interesting. If you didn't know the words to a lot of his songs, after that trip I think you would be set.
We made it to a white Paris around 8 in the morning on Saturday and went right to work! First we went to the Eiffel Tower, but because the third deck was closed we decided to go back to Notre Dame first. From there we went to the Louvre, which was the biggest building I have ever seen. It would take over a week to go through that entire place and actually be able to see the art and not feel rushed. A few hours later we made our way up the Champs de Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Then we made our way back to the Eiffel and actually went up to the first deck this time. We wanted to go to the third, but apparently it is closed until February and the second deck was closed due to the snow. The next day we made one more visit to the Eiffel to go up to the second deck and to get day light pictures. From there we made our way to the Museum d'Orsay, which was cool because it was a lot of the more modern artist and it was cool to actually know stuff about the paintings and their artists. I think the best thing about Paris was not only how beautiful it was, but also the fact that I knew what I was looking at and I knew some of the historical background which always makes it more interesting.
We made it to a white Paris around 8 in the morning on Saturday and went right to work! First we went to the Eiffel Tower, but because the third deck was closed we decided to go back to Notre Dame first. From there we went to the Louvre, which was the biggest building I have ever seen. It would take over a week to go through that entire place and actually be able to see the art and not feel rushed. A few hours later we made our way up the Champs de Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Then we made our way back to the Eiffel and actually went up to the first deck this time. We wanted to go to the third, but apparently it is closed until February and the second deck was closed due to the snow. The next day we made one more visit to the Eiffel to go up to the second deck and to get day light pictures. From there we made our way to the Museum d'Orsay, which was cool because it was a lot of the more modern artist and it was cool to actually know stuff about the paintings and their artists. I think the best thing about Paris was not only how beautiful it was, but also the fact that I knew what I was looking at and I knew some of the historical background which always makes it more interesting.
Hannover
Hannover is gorgeous! It is nice to be in a smaller city again after bustling Berlin. It is not as small as Bonn, but it is still very quiet compared to Berlin.
There is a lot of snow in Hannover! The wind can be pretty chilly, but I'm still loving my jacket and leggings. We've done a lot of tours in Hannover. The vet school was really interesting, because I've never been inside a large animal hospital before. A surprising amount of engineering goes into caring for horses and cows. Our visit to the cow reproduction facility was especially interesting. I now know more about a cow's backside than I ever wanted to know...
The Hannover Zoo was great! We got to see some animals adapting to the cold, and a lot of the other ones were in inside facilities. Whenever we walked from outside to inside, my camera lens fogged up, but they had nifty heating fans to dry them. The zoo also had ride down the snowy hill. We got to ride in innertubes through a track down the hill. It was really fun and a first for me. I've never seen this much snow before. Everything still looks gorgeous and I can't stop taking picutres...
The spell check is in German, so it is ineffective at editing this post, so I apologize for any misspellings. Also, the z and the y keys are switched, because i'm on a german computer. just fyi.
There is a lot of snow in Hannover! The wind can be pretty chilly, but I'm still loving my jacket and leggings. We've done a lot of tours in Hannover. The vet school was really interesting, because I've never been inside a large animal hospital before. A surprising amount of engineering goes into caring for horses and cows. Our visit to the cow reproduction facility was especially interesting. I now know more about a cow's backside than I ever wanted to know...
The Hannover Zoo was great! We got to see some animals adapting to the cold, and a lot of the other ones were in inside facilities. Whenever we walked from outside to inside, my camera lens fogged up, but they had nifty heating fans to dry them. The zoo also had ride down the snowy hill. We got to ride in innertubes through a track down the hill. It was really fun and a first for me. I've never seen this much snow before. Everything still looks gorgeous and I can't stop taking picutres...
The spell check is in German, so it is ineffective at editing this post, so I apologize for any misspellings. Also, the z and the y keys are switched, because i'm on a german computer. just fyi.
Bon Jour?
This past weekend we road tripped to Paris. And when I say road trip, I mean it in every sense of the word. We rented a car and made the 7 hour drive to Paris, through snow storms and all. We had to drive throughout the night, but it wasn't too bad because we took rotations sleeping. WE made it to Paris at about 8 in the morning and got lost at the airport trying to find a parking spot. After we found a spot to park, we made it to the trains and started our Paris adventure. I didn't think it was possible to hit up the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triumph and Louvre in one day, but we did it! We only brought backpacks so it wasn't too hard to "shlep" them around all day. I made the mistake thinking that Paris was going to be significantly warmer and didn't wear my boots. Not a good idea. It was surprisingly snowing in Paris, and my feet are just now thawing out from the freezing. Paris was so pretty covered in snow. The fountains were almost completely frozen over, and there was snow everywhere you looked. Everyone said it was really rare to see snow in Paris, so I'm happy I got to witness the rarity. The only bad thing about the weather was that we could not go all the way up the Eiffel Tower because of the snow. I want to go back in the summer sometime to actually spend sometime and see Paris. Although we had a pretty restricted time frame, I think we covered as much as possible. We also managed to do it fairly inexpensively, which is almost impossible to do. Inexpensive is not a word in the french language. Because we drove, we saved a lot of money, but it wasn't an easy task organizing everything and actually driving. Today we went to the medical school in Hannover and the cow and horse clinic again. It was cool to see the medical techniques they use and listen to the doctors/professors talk about their occupations. Tomorrow we travel to Bad Oeynhausen to visit the heart and diabetes center of North-Rhine Westphalia. I'm looking forward to watching open hear surgery while being in the actual operating room.
Berlin and Dresden
Dresden was really cool and I liked how the city is trying to preserve the history that they had before the war. The church of our lady was amazing and the effort and skill put into rebuilding the structure according to the original plans was amazing. I liked how they were able to salvage some of the original building and incorporate it into the new model. Traveling into the underground prayer room was a sobering experience, as you could still smell the stench left from the bombings. It felt kind of rushed though and I wish I would have had more time to travel around the city and see more things. However, traveling to the top of the church and being able to look out over the city was worth it by itself. The hygiene museum was unexpectedly a lot of fun and I loved how interactive everything was. At first I wasn't sure what it was going to be like but it was really cool. It made going through a whole lot more interesting and was a great contrast to the many other museums we have been to while here in Europe.
Traveling to the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine was really cool and all of the projects that they had going on were really cool. It was also interesting that they used the same building as Nazi euthanasia programs. I found all of it very interesting coming from a biomedical engineering background and I was interested in the international program that they offer and I may look into that when deciding what I want to do after obtaining a bachelors degree. The Otto Bock center was really cool and it was also a very interactive experience and it was cool how it kind of put you in the shoes of somebody with a prosthetic. Overall I thought that Berlin was a good place to go with a lot of history, but it felt more modern and a lot like America with more expression. I think because of this it gave off a different vibe, which is not a bad thing at all.
Traveling to the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine was really cool and all of the projects that they had going on were really cool. It was also interesting that they used the same building as Nazi euthanasia programs. I found all of it very interesting coming from a biomedical engineering background and I was interested in the international program that they offer and I may look into that when deciding what I want to do after obtaining a bachelors degree. The Otto Bock center was really cool and it was also a very interactive experience and it was cool how it kind of put you in the shoes of somebody with a prosthetic. Overall I thought that Berlin was a good place to go with a lot of history, but it felt more modern and a lot like America with more expression. I think because of this it gave off a different vibe, which is not a bad thing at all.
Berlin/Dresden
The "tour" of the Charite skill training center was extremely interesting. Being able to participate in the demonstration of the types of training the doctors received at the center was quite intense, especially since I was the one called on to save the manikin's life. The anesthesiologist that gave us the tour was quite fascinating, yet the thing i found most interesting was how young he was to already be the head of his department. The experience of learning how to save a life in critical situations felt quite overwhelming, and i couldn't help but thinking how i could have gone so long without learning these basic steps in human health.
The next day in Dresden was completely different from Berlin. I could see how different Berlin was from any other city we had visited yet. The history of Berlin was so much more recent and still fresh in every other one had a history that focused on a past much longer ago. Dresden was a city built on a completely different type of culture, full of beautiful buildings, especially the Protestant Church that we got to see. That church was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, something I don't think I can ever forget. Though the time we spent there was short, the city of Dresden left a pretty big impression on me that won't soon be lost.
The next day in Dresden was completely different from Berlin. I could see how different Berlin was from any other city we had visited yet. The history of Berlin was so much more recent and still fresh in every other one had a history that focused on a past much longer ago. Dresden was a city built on a completely different type of culture, full of beautiful buildings, especially the Protestant Church that we got to see. That church was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, something I don't think I can ever forget. Though the time we spent there was short, the city of Dresden left a pretty big impression on me that won't soon be lost.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Weekend in Hannover
Everyone left this weekend to Paris, but since I had been there before the program started, I decided to just stay in Hannover and relax. It was nice to finally get a good nights sleep and I will be rested for Tuesday when we go see teh surgeries. On Saturday I had lunch with Dr.Wasser and Dr.Rousseau. I went out with Daniel later that night and we explored the inner city of Hannover. On Sunday I took subway to the park in the north west of Hannover. I walked the length of it and just took in teh beauty of everything covered in snow. The river that flows through it was frozen solid, so I walked on water for the first time in my life. There were many children there skating on the river and sledding on the hills. Later that night I went with Dr.Wasser, Dr.Rousseau, and Olaf to a nice restaurant. The meals were reasonable priced for the atmosphere of the restaurant. I ordered the Ostrich along with some cous cous and palm hearts. It was all very good. Had some ice cream for dessert. Can't believe its the last week of program, bu tlooking forwrd to teh surgeries and going to Vienna!!
Saturday, January 09, 2010
The Zoo and Switzerland
Friday was my first full day in Hanover. In the morning we went back to the vet school and saw a gynecology clinic for cows. I won't go into detail about what happened there but lets just say that it was an interesting experience. After the vet school we took a tour of the veterinary pathology clinic. After a pretty good lunch at the vet school we headed off the the Hanover zoo.
Due to the winter weather and some construction not all of the animals were available to see. But we did get to see all kinds of primates, penguins, seals and hippos. There were no lions but we were still able to see leopards and tigers. The tigers were surprisingly large, I had never seen any that I could remember.
Today I awoke really early in order to catch flight to Switzerland. I just took it easy today, but I did go sledding. It was the first chance I have really had since I had been over here to play in the snow. It sure beat walking around in it all day. Tomorrow I am going up to Lake Lucerne and into the Alps.
Due to the winter weather and some construction not all of the animals were available to see. But we did get to see all kinds of primates, penguins, seals and hippos. There were no lions but we were still able to see leopards and tigers. The tigers were surprisingly large, I had never seen any that I could remember.
Today I awoke really early in order to catch flight to Switzerland. I just took it easy today, but I did go sledding. It was the first chance I have really had since I had been over here to play in the snow. It sure beat walking around in it all day. Tomorrow I am going up to Lake Lucerne and into the Alps.
Hannover
Hannover was an interesting city. It's nice how the city can be smaller than Berlin but still have so much stuff to do in it. The people of Hannover are extremely nice. When I lost my hat and glasses, the restaurant owner spoke little to no English but we still managed to communicate. I found my glasses outside, but my Czech hat is no more.
Experiencing the prosthetics in Berlin was very fun. I especially enjoyed the learning how far androids have come. I remember a few years ago, robots balancing and walking was unheard of. Seeing a robot walk so smoothly was so exciting, almost frightening.
Tomorrow, I take a trip back to Berlin to see "Tschaikowsky", a ballet by Boris Eifman with a student I met in Berlin. I am nervous about travelling alone, but if I drink some Coke Zero, I think I’ll be just fine.
I am actually getting used to the cold. Everyone else is bundled up very tightly, and I now rarely zip up my jacket. One week to go. I am really going to miss this country.
-Daniel Grunden
Experiencing the prosthetics in Berlin was very fun. I especially enjoyed the learning how far androids have come. I remember a few years ago, robots balancing and walking was unheard of. Seeing a robot walk so smoothly was so exciting, almost frightening.
Tomorrow, I take a trip back to Berlin to see "Tschaikowsky", a ballet by Boris Eifman with a student I met in Berlin. I am nervous about travelling alone, but if I drink some Coke Zero, I think I’ll be just fine.
I am actually getting used to the cold. Everyone else is bundled up very tightly, and I now rarely zip up my jacket. One week to go. I am really going to miss this country.
-Daniel Grunden
Never in my life!
Thursday after many obstacles we finally made it to Hannover. Our first visit was to the large animal clinic. Growing up I lived in the coutry and rode horses almost daily. However, my dad did all the behind the scenes work taking care of Spice (my horse) when she got sick. So it really interesting to see the facilities and what they do in person. It was amazing to me to see how they transported the horses for room to room in the operating theatre. Next we recieved a tour of the small animal clinic. Sometimes I really wish I could be a Vet but after visiting the clinic I know I definately made the right choice not pursing that dream. It makes me so sad seeing those poor animals helpless and in pain. Is is bad that animals sick make me feel worse than people who are ill??
Today was definately one of the craziest days of my life. Never in my life did I think I would preform a cow rectal exam, but I did. It was actually really cool to be able to get so hands on at the clinic. It is definately not somethings I would want to do as my job, taking care of cares but it was definately a really cool experience. Later we got to visit the Winter Zoo!!! I love Zoo's, however it was kinda sad that so many animals were not able to come out because it was SO cold. I did get to see two of my favorite animals which were the tigers and penguins. I know strange combination! Also, going tubing down the ice was a BLAST!
Well off to Paris later tonight, can't wait! It has always been a dream of mine to visit paris and the eiffel tower. In less than 24 hours my dream will come true :)
Today was definately one of the craziest days of my life. Never in my life did I think I would preform a cow rectal exam, but I did. It was actually really cool to be able to get so hands on at the clinic. It is definately not somethings I would want to do as my job, taking care of cares but it was definately a really cool experience. Later we got to visit the Winter Zoo!!! I love Zoo's, however it was kinda sad that so many animals were not able to come out because it was SO cold. I did get to see two of my favorite animals which were the tigers and penguins. I know strange combination! Also, going tubing down the ice was a BLAST!
Well off to Paris later tonight, can't wait! It has always been a dream of mine to visit paris and the eiffel tower. In less than 24 hours my dream will come true :)
Hannover
I am currently sitting in a hostel in Paris trying to blog on keyboard that I am NOT used to and it is really starting to frustrate me. Please excuse any mistakes :)!!!
Hannover is a beautiful city! I really enjoyed the vet school, especially the large animal clinic. I must say that in my life I have seen a few cow rectals but I never imagined doing one myself. It was a unique experience, one I am very glad I had, but I doubt I ever do it again! Being a vet would be quite a fun job but I just do not think it is the one for me.
The zoo was fun as well. While I have been to several zoos in my earlier years, I have never visited one in the winter nor have I ever been able to snow tube! The first time I went down I raced Olaf to the bottom, and contrary to what he might say, I won!
I have been thinking lately that it would be very beneficial for me to learn a second language. While I would love to learn German, I think I will start with Spanish since I already have some background in it. It amazes me that so many people in Europe are bilingual or even trilingual and I only know English! I had the opportunity in highschool to learn a second language but did not take it seriously because I really did not think it would ever be beneficial. I was wrong. When I get some free time, whenever that may be, I am definitely going to try to learn Spanish!
Hannover is a beautiful city! I really enjoyed the vet school, especially the large animal clinic. I must say that in my life I have seen a few cow rectals but I never imagined doing one myself. It was a unique experience, one I am very glad I had, but I doubt I ever do it again! Being a vet would be quite a fun job but I just do not think it is the one for me.
The zoo was fun as well. While I have been to several zoos in my earlier years, I have never visited one in the winter nor have I ever been able to snow tube! The first time I went down I raced Olaf to the bottom, and contrary to what he might say, I won!
I have been thinking lately that it would be very beneficial for me to learn a second language. While I would love to learn German, I think I will start with Spanish since I already have some background in it. It amazes me that so many people in Europe are bilingual or even trilingual and I only know English! I had the opportunity in highschool to learn a second language but did not take it seriously because I really did not think it would ever be beneficial. I was wrong. When I get some free time, whenever that may be, I am definitely going to try to learn Spanish!
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